Are you suffering overwhelming hot flashes during the day? Do you wake up at night drenched in sweat? Nearly 8 in 10 women will experience hot flashes or night sweats during menopause, and they last seven years on average.
Menopause is the biological process that marks the end of your reproductive years, and declining estrogen levels often trigger a range of symptoms from mood swings to hot flashes. Some women experience mild menopause symptoms, but others are bothered by intense symptoms that can interfere with daily life.
If you’re living with frequent menopausal hot flashes, talk to our highly trained team at OB-GYN Associates of Marietta. We’re here to help you navigate the transition of menopause, giving you treatment options from lifestyle changes to hormone therapy to manage your symptoms.
Estrogen and progesterone levels in your body begin declining when you’re in your 30s, leading to perimenopause and menopause once you reach your 40s. As female hormone levels drop, your body reacts in a number of different ways.
Fluctuating hormone levels often trigger hot flashes, or periods of intense heat, and they’re one of the earliest signs of perimenopause. When hot flashes happen at night, they’re called night sweats.
During a hot flash, you might feel your face, neck, and chest flush. You may start sweating, and perspiration can be so heavy that your clothes get soaked.
Hot flashes triggered by menopause can last anywhere from 1-5 minutes at a time. Some women experience just a few hot flashes a week, while others might suffer several every hour, adding up to nearly 30 per day.
Women who start getting hot flashes in perimenopause or early menopause may be more likely to continue experiencing them for longer, and they can quickly begin affecting your quality of life.
Most symptoms of menopause — hot flashes and night sweats included — are linked to low levels of estrogen that naturally occur with menopause. When your symptoms begin impacting your quality of life, it’s time to find treatment to help you feel more like yourself again.
Our team at OB-GYN Associates of Marietta often prescribes hormone therapy for women who are bothered by severe symptoms of menopause. Hormone therapy helps relieve hot flashes, night sweats, and more by replacing the estrogen your body lacks and rebalancing hormone levels.
We offer hormone therapy through skin patches, oral tablets, and vaginal creams and inserts. While vaginal hormones are often best for vaginal symptoms like dryness or discomfort with sex, skin patches and oral tablets treat a range of whole-body symptoms like hot flashes.
Your hormone treatment plan is tailored to your body and your symptoms. In general, we recommend taking the lowest dosage for the shortest amount of time needed to give you adequate relief.
When you and your doctor find a dosage that works for you, you can expect noticeable relief from the menopausal symptoms you’re experiencing. Fewer, less intense hot flashes are possible with the help of hormone treatment.
Throughout perimenopause and menopause, our team monitors your well-being. Your symptoms might change as you progress through menopause, so don’t be afraid to discuss new or changing symptoms with our team when you come to your appointments.
The symptoms of menopause don’t have to disrupt your life. Schedule a consultation with our OB/GYN team to find out if hormone therapy could be the solution you’ve been hoping for. Call our offices in Marietta or Woodstock, Georgia, or request an appointment online today.
